The Love Effect
by Scilja
Summary: Love works in the most mysterious ways and it has taken a turn on its next two victims. The effect of that leads to many jawdropping, eyepopping, and browraising reactions. Naruhina.


DISCLAIMER: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This fanfic is non-profit.

The Love Effect

By Scilja

They say love can do many things to a person. Its power so great it transforms an individual into someone entirely unrecognizable. Love brings about an unpredictability that reveals the deepest recesses of the heart. The outcome may be beneficial, eye-opening, or just plain mind-boggling.

The perfect example can be found in two people who define the very meaning of "opposites attract". He is boisterous, expressive, proactive and stands out in the crowd. She is subtle, introverted, passive and blends into the crowd. But when they come together one faithful day, he squeezing her hand in overwhelming relief and she peering at him through a teary smile, a mysterious kind of balance comes forth.

And yet despite how harmonious said balance is, a slight hint of chaos would occasionally seep into the order. After all, life would be boring if not for a little mayhem now and then.

The first crack occurs after her release from the hospital with him as her escort. Even at the prime age of twenty and recognized at the peak of their skills, the mission had been an unexpectedly arduous one that threatened both their lives. The fact that the two have worked together on numerous occasions only tightens the underlying tension of the close bond shared between them.

"I still think you aren't ready to be out from there," he scowls at having to repeat himself to the figure on his left.

"And I still think I am well enough to do so," her eyes narrow slightly in a rare display of defiance.

He brings them to a stop by grinding his feet angrily into the ground, arm whipped out in irate fashion. "Those medic-nins don't know any better! Don't forget I was there, Hinata-chan! I saw what happened and felt what happened. My recovery is not the same as yours because Kyuubi speeds it up!"

"You are forgetting that I am also a medic-nin," she huffs with a hint of exasperation. "I am aware of what the body is capable of and what it is not." Her gaze softens at the scowl that appears on his features and she eases the lines on his brow by cupping his cheek. "Naruto-kun, am I limping?" she asks.

He casts his head down to her feet, "No."

"Am I bleeding?"

His head raises a bit to inspect her physical state. "No."

"Am I wearing a cast, splint, or supporter?"

Their eyes meet. "No."

"Then I pass, right?" Her tone changes to a soothing whisper, slender fingers come up to trace his blonde spikes.

He continues to be stubborn to his thoughts as her wrist becomes captive to his grasp and her shoulder falls victim to a tight grip, "You're not alri–"

She grabs him by the lapels of his jacket and cuts him off by sealing her lips with his. It proves to be effective with his eyes unblinking and his breathing at a wavering stillness. In this very historical moment, Naruto has been made utterly speechless. Hinata feels her face wash over with a red tint, cheeks feverish and hands trembling.

When she speaks, her voice is barely audible, "If I were not alright, I-I would not have been able to do that."

Embarrassment takes over and she moves to step away, only to squeak when she feels herself abruptly pulled up against him. "N-Naruto-kun?"

Her nerves seem to have transferred to him for his shoulders now quiver lightly. Hoping to ease the strain, she rubs his back in small circles and his arms tighten around her waist in response. "Don't…" he chokes, "…don't ever do that again."

The gruffness in his words brings about a stunned realization to his restrained fear. Blinking away the watery sheen in her eyes, she fists the fabric of his jacket, "I'm sorry…"

"I was so scared, Hina-chan," he whispers hoarsely, "when I saw the spear coming at you, then the explosion…and the blood…God, I thought I was going to die."

She leans back enough to see his eyes and her heart throbs painfully at the anguish swimming in their blue depths. "Shh," she hushes gently, taking his face in her hands, "We're alright, aren't we? I am here and so are you." Her fingers entangle themselves through his hair and she smiles through her tears, "You're not alone, Naruto-kun."

In the middle of the cobblestone bridge illuminated by the moonshine, he initiates their second kiss then, this time more desperate and passionate than the first. When they part for breath, he wears a cheeky grin and she blushes when he tells her he hopes to encounter another debate with her.

* * *

The next crack happens when Naruto contradicts himself. While enjoying a miso ramen at his favorite Ichiraku booth, a fellow teammate decides to take a chance to crack a playful but otherwise terrible joke.

"Yo, Naruto!" Kiba slaps his back jovially causing him to nearly gag on a mouthful of noodles. "Easy on the ramen, will ya? Or are you practicing your sucking skills to take elsewhere?" He waggles his eyebrows comically while Akamaru yips in the background.

Kiba prepares for the usual onslaught of animated gestures and rowdy remarks from the blonde ninja. But instead, with an eerie calmness he never knew he possessed, Naruto turns to him and smirks, "Better than drooling and public urination, don't you think?"

No arm flailing. No rambunctious babbling. No exaggerated motions.

This results in a very stunned Kiba and an equally mute Akamaru, not to mention the raised brows and unvoiced shock from his fellow shinobi audience. A few of the reactions include a a peculiar sort of admiration and, if you look close enough, an inkling fascination that would soon jump start a growing fan club to rival the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. Later, Sakura asks if he has ingested anything out of the ordinary lately and he surprises them by saying, "Haven't had your cooking in months, Sakura-chan," then quickly dodges a near fatality from an oncoming fist.

Apparently being around the Hyuuga heiress has toned down the rowdiness level in the infamous Uzumaki much to the point that he no longer resorts to flashy, showy acts (unless ramen and masculinity were provoked). Rather, he has come to be known for sharp wit and quick comebacks, earning him a high rank among the kunoichis in Konoha. Being blonde, tall, lean, well-built, and spontaneous promotes him to be a very popular icon, so much so that Hinata has been unofficially dubbed the main target of envious competition.

Weeks pass since the kisses they shared on the bridge. To her disappointment, their relationship continues to be nothing more than the best of friends considering Naruto has not always been the most knowledgeable when it comes to the varying levels of relationships. Of course, the physical contact between them has increased where it has become natural for him to hold her hand during their walks or she would idly play with his gold locks. Aside from that, no obvious signs indicate them as a couple.

On a particularly blistering day, he comes from one direction on the street, and because of her concentration focuses on the treat in her hand than on direction, she bumps into him. The sudden collision propels the ice-cream in her hand to splatter across his shirt.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun!" she panics and hastily fumbles through her pockets for napkins, her expression downcast when she comes up empty-handed.

He chuckles, plucking at his shirt to prevent the wet fabric from further sticking to his skin. "It's just what I need to cool me down, Hina-chan," he says with a grin followed by a wink, "too bad about the ice cream though."

"Please, Naruto-kun, come home with me and I'll wash – _Naruto-kun!_"

Her hearts leaps in her throat leaving her flustering at the unprepared sight of his bare chest. Standing so close to him allows for a delicious view of sculpted and hardened muscles lining his upper body. His abs flex as he proceeds to relieve his arms from the sleeves and she wills herself to keep from dropping into a dead faint.

"Hina-chan, it's fine," he rolls up the shirt into a ball, "I've wanted a good reason to get rid of this shirt. I forgot black burns the hell out of you under the sun." He mistakes her redness for sunburn and asks, "You okay, Hina-chan? You don't look so good."

She lets out a small yelp when his palm touches her forehead and instantly staggers back to create some distance from a half-naked Naruto. "I-I'm fine, it's the heat." Unsure of how long her endurance may last, she whips her head to the side, anywhere to avoid the front view.

A whistle catches her ear. From the corner of her eyes she sees three kunoichis amble towards them and her breath hitches at hearing one say, "Hey there, hot stuff."

The ones with green tresses and dark hair take to the left of Naruto while a busty red-head leans in from his right, trailing a manicured finger along his arm. "You wanna join in on some fun?" she smiles beguilingly, oozing with experienced charm. "I know a great way to cool down," she puffs out a stream of air across his neck.

As if driven by an unknown force, Hinata stomps forward, reaches for the scrunched shirt in his hand, and looks squarely at the red-haired femme, "Naruto-kun, please come with me. I owe you a new shirt at least."

Red scoffs haughtily, "I think that's for him to decide, girl."

Green giggles behind a dainty hand, "He's clearly old enough to make his own decisions."

Brunette flicks her hair proudly, "Now run along and go eat an ice cream or something."

With her dignity shot, her preferences mocked, her psyche belittled, and altogether topped off with the scorching heat, Hinata snaps. Naruto blinks incredulously upon hearing a creative expletive mutter through thinned lips. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Tittering laughter responds, "On the contrary, this is what we see as better."

"It's not like you're his girlfriend so it's all fair game."

"Actually, she is, so technically that would be cheating."

Eyes widen and gasps come from around him. Her body temperature spikes up so high her blood boils and she begins to feel the early signs of a swoon.

"You've got to be joking, Naruto-kun," Red hisses.

"Not this time. And it's Uzumaki to you," his words carry a growl to which all three women wisely step back and take their leave. He then turns to look at her, cocks his head to the side, and playfully flicks her forehead, "You can stop glaring now, Hina-chan."

With a start, her hands fly up to her temples to feel prominent veins underneath her fingertips. Mortified that she has unconsciously activated Byakkugan over such a trivial incident, she pivots on her heel and immediately recollects herself to return her cherry hue back to fair white, going through a well-practiced chant to will her racing heartbeat to a slower pace.

"Hina-chan."

Taking a deep breath, she squares her shoulders to prepare for whatever quip he would say. When she turns her head, her mouth meets with something warm and soft. Once again surprise floors her as her brain slowly processes the reality of him kissing her.

Her face takes on a blank expression as his lips quirk into a sly smile, "In case you were wondering, that was overdue to happen."

She jumps into his arms to join in his delight while spectators look on in amazement upon seeing a Hyuuga laugh so happily and so loudly in many years.

* * *

The benefit of dating your best friend is that you get a huge head start into the relationship, so after six months of dating it only seems natural to step up to marriage. The wedding ceremony takes place shortly after the council announces Naruto as the successor to the Fifth Hokage. With both events occurring within a week of each other, Konoha has little sleep, preoccupied in celebrating the start of many beginnings.

With the wedding comes the wedding night, and within the walls of their suite chamber, the groom and his new bride take on a very interesting role reversal.

Hinata emerges from a recent bath, hair tousled awry and skin freshly glistening from the mist. The figure sitting on the edge of the bed captures her attention, his back turned to her, clad in the same yukata she wears. Feeling playful, she tiptoes her way around the bed and reaches out to touch his shoulders.

"_Augh!_"

His sudden outburst startles her as he jumps and backpedals to the head of the bed. The sound of his breathing fills the room, heavy and sporadic to the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

"H-Hina-chan," he croaks, "H-hi."

"Naruto-kun?" She has a difficult time meeting his gaze with his eyes darting from side to side. He has become oddly still as well as tense, his knuckles white from his grip on the comforter. "Naruto-kun," her head tilts in puzzlement, "are you alright?"

"Yeah!" He coughs to clear the unusual pitch in his voice. "Fine. Never better. Just taking it easy, you know?"

By now she has climbed on the bed, facing him on her hands and knees in silent amusement at his peculiar state. Her bent position causes her yukata to droop open to reveal no other article of clothing lay underneath the robe. Eyes closed, he makes a noise at the back of his throat that sounds like a mix between a whimper and a growl.

That does not stop her from inching closer to her stationary partner. Caressing his nape, her lips lift into a small smile, "Naruto-kun, you're blushing."

She catches his deepening tint before he drags a hand down his face and groans. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Hina-chan."

Wanting to be closer to him, she nudges his knees aside to achieve a kneeling position. Her arms envelope his neck and she presses up against him. He mutually accepts by embracing her waist and buries his face in the hollow of her collarbone. Planting a small kiss to his temple, she smiles, "You're cute, you know?"

Something akin to a grunt murmurs against her skin and she giggles at feeling his face heat up once more. "What are you so nervous about, Naruto-kun?"

"Hina-chan," he whines with such exasperation she stifles herself from laughing, "who knew you'd be such a tease."

"Because you are too tense," she rests her forehead against his, "relax, darling."

A few moments pass in silence until he exhales deeply, his cheek presses against hers as he speaks, his voice low and intimately personal. "You know…because of you, my life has meaning. You've given me so much, Hina-chan, and I…I want for you…"

His words leave him when she pecks the tip of his nose. "Me too, Naruto-kun, me too." She reaches for his hand and holds it to her chest. "Can you feel that?" she says gently.

"It's beating so fast," he answers in awe.

"You make me feel this way, Naruto-kun. I want to make you happy just as you make me. I want to show you how much you mean to me."

She smiles beautifully then, making his heart swell with an emotion that overpowers years of solitude and grief. "Let us do it together."

Her lips trail soft kisses along his forehead down to his jaw. He arches his neck back to allow her wandering mouth further exploration. She gives a tentative lick along his bottom lip which brings out a low moan from him and prompts his mouth to descend unto hers. His nimble hands proceed to slip the yukata off and she inhales sharply at the cool draft breezing on her fevered skin. The contact elicits a wonderful shudder to course through their bodies as slow and leisure kisses rapidly turn into yearning and desire.

Limbs entangle in a passionate frenzy and breathless gasps intermingle in the midnight air. He expresses such gentle and precise feats to which she fervently counters with a feisty zeal that stretches his sanity. They stroke, caress and touch in an intensifying heat, building until it erupts into a blinding peak.

In that moment, he discovers her to be quite the vocalist.

* * *

Unbeknownst to both Hinata and Naruto, the whole village has acknowledged them as a role model for the ideal couple. If anything, being married has increased their reputation as individuals, the two becoming a representative among their respective gender groups. Outside missions and council meetings, Hinata becomes an unofficial advisor to women whose questions range from maintaining a curvy figure without gaining bulk muscle to preparing food that would keep him coming back for more. For Naruto, well, being Hokage says everything.

With their hectic lifestyles, the two has found it increasingly demanding to fit in their love life. Still newly weds, they have gotten well accustomed to the perks of frequent intimacy, namely at least twice a day. However, conflicting schedules diminishes the number to once a day, then every other day, then three times a week, and finally once a week.

Although the couple has appeared to be on normal terms to any viewer, one would only have to look beyond the normalcy to find the sexual tension. Naruto fidgets more so than usual that spreadsheets contain numerous dots from the incessant tapping of his pen. During periods of privacy, his movements become noticeably jerky and stiff causing his body to undergo a handful of cramps and aches from bumping into too many things. Hinata hides it by sighing, making people wonder how deep her fatigue may be or what could possibly be troubling her to leave it unsolved for days. While speaking to a colleague or civilian, every now and then her eyes would occasionally stray then flit back to the person before it rose suspicion.

One late evening, Naruto arrives home from a three day summit held at the Hidden Village of the Sand. Exhausted and mentally drained, he finds the nearest couch and immediately plops down into it, his eyes shut as a long exhale leaves him. Suddenly he feels familiar hands roll into his shoulders, digging and kneading their way to his neck which draws out a low moan from him.

He senses movement from behind and smiles into the pair of lips he has come to know so well. "I'm home."

"Welcome home," Hinata gives another soft kiss and loops her arms around his neck.

His hand climbs up to caress her back then both his eyes fly open and his mind comes at full alert as he takes in the sight of her.

Her shapely form peeks through sheer lace, her most intimate areas hidden by ribbons and intricate frills. What captivates him the most lies in the predatory gleam in her gaze as if he were a delectable meal. Weeks of suppressed wanting finally breaks free and lust shoots through him so painfully he grits his teeth in a vain attempt to keep from pouncing on her.

But she shocks him by doing just that.

In a fluid move she ends up straddling his lap and pinning his wrists to the sides of his head. Looking down at him through hooded lids, she makes a sultry purr and takes immense satisfaction when the muscles under her tense. She never ceases to amaze him with her uncanny ability to know and perceive without words, and he adores her all the more for it.

He groans when she leans forward, skimming open-mouthed kisses on his neck, "Hungry?"

Hissing at the languid play of her tongue, he growls impatiently, "Starving."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"I wasn't talking about food, love," he says.

Eyes twinkling devilishly, she husks, "Neither was I."

She is daring, bold, and willing.

He is keen, incisive, and dignified.

Love can do the strangest things.

END.


End file.
